A Tale of Three Brothers
by Emtheunicorn
Summary: There was once a tale of three brothers, a tale of heartbreak, sadness, and woe. One day was all it took to tear the broken Taylor family apart. Follows the story of the three brothers Lucas, Michael and Anthony. AU. Lucket, Mella and Anthony/Natalie.


So you all remember when you told me never to write a depressing story again? Guess what I did! Consider this your warning. This story loosely follows the events of the TN finale but it's not strictly canon. It features Lucas and his two oc brothers Michael (from Rush) and Anthony (from Blame). It also features Stella (from Rush) and Natalie (from Blame). If you haven't seen Rush and Blame you should because Ash is amazing in both of them. This goes with a fanvid I made which you can see at http:/ www (.) youtube (.) com / watch?v=KE0hwPJckro&feature=youtu (.) be just remove the spaces and brackets, hopefully that will work. If not you can find it on my fanvid page on tumblr. (my tumblr name is Emtheunicorn... I'm sure you can find me) Anyway this was originally supposed to be a oneshot but now I'm coming up with ideas for extra scenes and other fics that could be written about this idea so I will probably end up writing more about this idea of the three brothers. If you have any ideas for extra scenes that you would like let me know, I'm happy to take requests. I'm loving my little Taylor brothers world. Anyway please review and let me know what you think. Also a big thanks to my beta Gypsie Rosalie for putting up with all of my questions and helping me. You truly are the best. I take my hypothetical hat off to you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Terra Nova or any of the characters from Terra Nova and I don't own Michael or Anthony either :(

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There was once a tale of three brothers, a tale of heartbreak, sadness, and woe. The three brothers, although similar in looks, could not have been more different in personality. Pitted against each other in a battle of love, family and betrayal their true colours emerged.

There was Lucas, the eldest of the three. He was single-minded and stubborn, determined to get revenge on his father for the death of his mother. Since Ayani's death Commander Taylor had blamed Lucas, his brothers had been forgiven but Taylor had never looked at Lucas the same way again. Lucas was perhaps the heart of the resistance, and although he did not appear to be the leader they wouldn't have stood a chance without him and his superior intellect. Lucas wanted one thing. He wanted it more than anything. He wanted revenge, yet in the process he lost sight of everything and lost it all.

Then there was Anthony, the youngest sibling. He was kind and well liked yet naive and easily manipulated. He was dragged into the whole mess, pulled in by faux love and a desire for his oldest brother's approval. He worshipped Lucas, Lucas was his hero. It was unfortunate that it was this way. It led him to make all of the wrong decisions, leaving him emotionally scarred for the rest of his life.

Then there was the middle sibling, Michael. While he was not as smart as his older brother and not as well liked as his younger brother he was one thing that his brothers weren't, he was loyal to his father. He alone stood by his father and Terra Nova.

Of course with three brothers came three ladies. There was Natalie, Anthony's girlfriend. She was manipulative and controlling. She was the self proclaimed princess of the dark side. With nothing to gain from the war people often questioned her motives but all it took was an innocent look from her and all their suspicions were gone. She had a way of controlling people, especially Anthony. All it took was one touch of his arm and Anthony was instantly under her spell.

Then there was Stella. Michael had long sought after her yet she turned him down time and time again. It wasn't because of a lack of feelings, there was no denying that there was chemistry between them. But Michael wasn't going to give up, he knew that the love between them was strong. He was prepared to wait for her. He would wait as long as it took for her to admit her true feelings. Michael wasn't a patient man but when it came to Stella he would wait forever.

And then there was Skye, she might have had the most complicated relationship of them all. If you asked her about Lucas Taylor before the events of the fateful day she would have spluttered and denied that anything had ever occurred between them. If you had asked her about her feeling for Lucas she would deny that such things existed. If you asked Lucas he would say the same thing. But the truth was that something had occurred between the two. Skye would deny it of course, Lucas would simply smirk. The truth was that Skye, the golden girl of Terra Nova, had been sneaking out of Terra Nova for some time to see Lucas. They both claimed that it meant nothing, it was just sex, the product of their sexual tension and the thrill of sneaking away yet little did they know that there was something between them that went a lot deeper.

Commander Taylor hated that this fight had come between his family. It was his two sons against him and his other son. It was ripping his family apart. He was right in his assumption that it wouldn't end well, for any of them.

It was the death of Lieutenant Washington that seemed to set it all off. When her body hit the ground Commander Taylor broke from the cover of the trees and ran towards the colony, blinded by rage and pain. His loyal soldiers ran after him, prepared to follow him to the death. The Phoenix group reacted accordingly, firing at them and running out to meet them, determined to stop them from taking back the stolen colony. Then the fight broke out. The armies were divided as the soldiers were forced into one-on-one combat. Many of the colonists were forced into the fight too, defending their home and their leader. As the fight progressed it seemed to spread out, leading both sides into the jungle.

Perhaps it was fate that brought the three brothers to the same clearing that day. If it was then fate is a cruel mistress. All it took was a few misguided decisions and three gunshots to rip the broken family apart, leaving the remains lying in a bloody heap, too broken to repair.

Amidst all the fighting Michael found himself in a clearing, staring down the barrel of Lucas' gun. Michael's gun was also raised and pointed at Lucas. The two brothers stood there, ready to shoot at a second's notice yet at the same time hesitant to do so. Neither of them wanted to shoot their brother.

"I don't want to shoot you dear brother," Lucas said calmly, as though he didn't have a deadly weapon pointed at his younger brother. "Come and join me. Leave dear old Dad and I'll spare you,"

Michael shook his head and tried to compose himself, willing himself to stay strong. He wouldn't fall for Lucas' tricks. He adjusted his grip on his gun, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Lucas, please," Michael begged. He wasn't begging for his life. He was begging for his brother. He wanted nothing more than for his big brother to return, the big brother that he had known as a child. Yet that brother was gone, he had left back in 2138, leaving behind this cold, revenge-obsessed brother in his place.

It was that moment that Taylor walked into the clearing. He almost took a step backwards as he took in the sight of two of his sons standing there with guns pointed at each other. He looked up to see Anthony standing there, almost out of sight, just inside the trees. He had a terrified expression on his face. Natalie stood behind him, whispering in his ear, gently stroking his arm. That was never a good sign. Anthony held a gun which was point at Michael. It pained Taylor to see his sons like this. After the death of his wife his family had begun to fall apart bit by bit and he was powerless to stop it.

"Boys," Taylor said, taking a step forwards, hoping that there was some way to diffuse this situation. Michael and Lucas looked up at the sound of his voice. Anthony remained focused on what Natalie was saying, blind to everything else.

"Lucas," Taylor pleaded. "Just put down the gun." Lucas noted that his father said nothing about Michael lowering his gun. Taylor knew that Michael wouldn't hurt his brother. But to Lucas his father had made it clear, he wanted Lucas to lower his gun, Lucas was the one in the wrong, he was blaming Lucas again.

It was that moment that everything changed. It was only a few seconds. That was all the time it took for the sound of three gunshots to ring out through the air, shattering what was left of the broken family and leaving the pieces scattered on the ground.

Lucas was the first to react, spinning around to face his father and point the gun at him before pulling the trigger and watching as his father fell to the ground. Taylor was only able to sit and watch as the events unfolded, left powerless once again.

Lucas took a step forwards towards Taylor, ready to finish him off, just as Michael took a step towards Lucas, shock evident on his face as he watched his father clutch at his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. As Michael took a step forwards Natalie reached out to stroke Anthony's arm while murmuring soft words of encouragement.

"Do it," she whispered. "He's going to kill Lucas, then he's going to come after you and then he's going to come for me. Do it."

All it took was one touch of his arm for Anthony to be under Natalie's spell, almost as if he was hypnotised, caught up in her manipulative ways, blind to everything else. The next second Anthony was pulling the trigger and watching as Michael fell to the ground. It was the second that the shot rang out that Anthony realised what he had done. He had shot his brother. The sound of the third shot rang out but Anthony was in shock as he looked down at where Michael lay. He vaguely registered a figure running into the clearing but his thoughts were on what he had just done. He slowly lowered his gun as he stared at Michael before turning towards Natalie.

"Nat?" he gasped. "Nat?" His eyes begged her to tell him that what he was seeing wasn't real.

Natalie reached out her hand to stroke Anthony's arm, trying to pull him back under her control but this was the turning point for Anthony. He gasped as he stepped backwards. His actions had made him see the light, pulling him out of Natalie's clutches. He had shot his brother and now he had to live with that knowledge. It was all because of Natalie and her manipulative ways, he wasn't going to let her fool him again.

Stella ran into the clearing the second that she saw Michael fall to the ground. She didn't notice the sound of the third gunshot, her focus was on Michael as she ran towards him. She dropped down to her knees and examined Michael's broken and bloody body. She moved her hands to his wrist, searching for a pulse. His pulse was faint but he was still alive, just. She moved her hands to his gunshot wound, putting pressure on it, trying to control the bleeding.

"Michael," Stella called, her voice wavering as she tried to control her emotions. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what could have been, of what was never said, what could have happened between them if she had only admitted her feelings earlier.

"Stell?" His voice was soft, barely a whisper yet it was the greatest sound that Stella had heard in her life. He was alive and awake, barely, but Stella was grateful for that fact. Words rushed through her head as she tried to figure out what to say, how to convey how she felt. She knew that it could very well be now or never.

"Kiss me," Michael mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"What?" Stella asked, barely believing what she was hearing.

"Kiss me," Michael murmured again, using all the strength he had to mutter those two words.

"I'm not kissing you you've got a bullet in your chest," Stella replied as though the idea was ridiculous. Then she thought about it for a moment. Michael was lying there on the jungle floor, bleeding out, dying, and he wanted one thing, he wanted her. She couldn't deny him that. So she stopped fighting it. Before she could change her mind she leant down and pressed her lips to his. Stella could feel his heart racing as he kissed her back desperately, as though she was his life support. She knew she had to keep him calm and so she reluctantly pulled away. Michael tried to follow her, lifting his chest and shoulders off the ground for a second, trying to seek out her lips but he soon fell back to the ground, too weak to hold himself up. Stella could hear the sound of an approaching rover. Help was here, Michael was going to be alright.

"It's okay Michael," she murmured, holding back tears, overwhelmed by the whole situation. "It's okay."

Meanwhile while this was all happening there was a third gunshot, the last part in the tragic trilogy of pain and betrayal. Lucas took a step forwards towards his father, intending to finish him off just as Skye emerged from the trees. She reacted automatically, raising her gun and firing. Lucas stumbled backwards as the bullet entered his chest. He looked at Skye, his eyes filled with shock as he fell backwards to the ground. Skye was frozen for a moment as she watched Lucas fall. She was painfully aware that it was because of her that he was bleeding out on the ground. The gun fell out of her hand as she ran over to him.

Taylor watched the scene unfold, his injuries leaving him unable to do anything but watch as his sons fell to the ground. He clutched at his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. He tried to stand, to go and help his sons but he couldn't. He sat there, frozen, his eyes flicked between Anthony, Michael and Lucas, wanting nothing more than to help them. The trouble was he didn't know which son to save. All three of his sons needed him but he was powerless to help them, it was like Somalia all over again.

Anthony finally came to his senses. He looked down at where his brothers and father lay. His entire family lay dying on the ground. He knew he had to fix it, he had to help them. He looked over to Michael and saw Stella leaning over him, trying to stop the bleeding and whispering words of encouragement. He saw Skye sitting by Lucas then he saw his father sitting alone, watching the scene unfold. Anthony watched as Taylor gasped and clutched at his wound. The blood leaked out of the bullet hole over Taylor's fingers, staining them red. Anthony ran across the clearing to his father as Natalie turned around and walked back into the trees. Her work was done, she didn't hang around for messy clean ups.

"Dad," Anthony whispered as he knelt down next to him.

"Anthony?" Taylor murmured back, fighting to stay conscious, reaching out to his son.

"I'm sorry Dad," Anthony continued as the tears began to fall. He was apologising for everything. For Michael, for his betrayal, everything.

"My son," Taylor managed to choke out as he pulled Anthony into a one armed hug. Anthony wrapped his arms around his father, hugging him for the first time in year. It was this moment that the rover turned up. Anthony helped his father stand and walk over to the rover.

"Michael, Lucas," Taylor called weakly, trying to search for his sons. Anthony reassured him that they were coming as he helped his father climb into the rover before climbing in next to him.

Meanwhile the soldiers were carrying Michael to the back of the rover. Stella followed, staying with Michael every step of the way. She sat there holding him the in the back of the rover as they drove towards Terra Nova, towards help. Stella held him the entire way, muttering words of encouragement and reassurance, reminding him that he now had something to fight for. She wasn't going to let him give up. Lucas remained on the ground in the clearing, left to die, forgotten, forgotten by all but Skye.

"Lucas," Skye called, her voice wavering as she looked at Lucas' wound. The blood was pouring out, forming a pool on the ground. They both knew that it was hopeless. Tears began to fall from Skye's eyes as the realisation sunk in. Lucas reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, letting his fingertips gently graze across her cheek before letting his hand drop back to the ground. His chest rose up as he gasped for breath before slumping back down to the ground, exhausted by the effort.

"Stay... with...me," Lucas pleaded, fighting to get the words out.

"I'm not going anywhere," Skye replied, wiping at the tears that were now swiftly falling before reaching out to lace her fingers with Lucas' fingers, holding his hand tight, refusing to let go.

Lucas gazed up at her as she looked back down at him. A whole conversation seemed to transpire between them though no words were said. Nothing needed to be said, they both knew how the other felt, it was only now that they seemed to realise it. Skye's head was filled with thoughts of missed opportunities, of what could have been. Lucas was instead choosing to remember what was. His life seemed to flash before his eyes. The pain, the betrayal, the feeling of never being good enough for his father after Somalia, knowing that his father had forgiven his brothers but not him, the years spent in the jungle, Skye. Lucas chose to think about Skye in his last few moment, going over every precious moment that he had spent with her, the feel of her skin, the way her heart would race whenever he was near, the moments when they had seen through their ruse and known how the other felt.

Skye could sense that he was fading fast. She knew his time was running out. Without thinking about it she leaned down and pressed her lips to his, knowing that this was her last opportunity. She reluctantly broke the kiss, pulling away yet remaining close to him, their breath mingling as Skye gazed into his eyes, seeing the man behind the pain.

"Stay," Lucas repeated, needing the reassurance that Skye wouldn't abandon him in his time of need like everyone else always had his entire life.

" 'Til the end," Skye replied as the tears continued to fall.

Lucas smiled. It was the first time he had genuinely smiled in many years. He reached his hand up to caress her cheek. Skye mirrored his movements, letting her fingertips brush against his cheek before letting her forehead rest against his. Lucas fought to keep his eyes open, wanting to take in as much of Skye as he could while he still had the chance, wanting her to be the last thing he saw. Skye couldn't resist kissing him swiftly once more, unwilling to let him go. Lucas gazed up at her for the last time.

"Thank you... Bucket," he whispered before stilling, his hand falling limply to the ground. Skye choked back a sob as she looked into his lifeless green eyes. She buried her head in his chest as sobs racked her body. Tears stained his shirt as Skye clutched his lifeless body, unwilling to let go. She lay there for hours, holding him, holding onto the memories, wishing that things could have been different.

Michael made a full recovery as did Commander Taylor. Anthony would always carry the emotional scars from that day, then again they all would. Taylor had lost a son, Michael and Anthony had lost a brother. Anthony didn't think he would every get over shooting his brother. Michael had forgiven him yet Anthony still carried the scars, though two good things did come as a result of the tragic day, Anthony finally saw the light about Natalie and stood up for himself, ridding himself of her forever and Michael got Stella. After years of her denying her feelings for him she finally stopped fighting it.

There had been no funeral for Lucas. Though Taylor had searched for his body it had never been found. He presumed that it had been tossed in a pile with the other bodies of the Sixers and the Phoenix group before being burnt; little did he know it had already been buried. They all honoured Lucas in their own way. Michael and Anthony went to Boylan's for a drink in honour of Lucas' memory. They remembered all the times they had spent together growing up, sharing their favourite memories of Lucas. Commander Taylor went to Snakehead falls to look at Lucas' calculations. Though the calculations had led to disaster Taylor couldn't deny that he was impressed with his son, not everyone could make a portal go both ways. So he sat there, admiring his son's work. He thought that Lucas would have liked that.

Then there was Skye, she stayed clutching his body for hours until she ran out of tears. She knew that she couldn't just leave him there, the jungle was littered with bodies, he deserved more than to be piled with the rest of them and so she dug him a grave. Then she lay there all night by his grave. She had promised him that she would stay until the end, it wasn't the end yet, it didn't feel like he was gone, it didn't feel like the end. Skye still wasn't ready to let go, she still wasn't ready to admit that she had killed Lucas, that it was her actions that had left his lifeless body in the ground. So she lay there with him all night, she was sure that he would have preferred it that way, just her and him, until the end.

And so ends the tale of Michael, Lucas and Anthony. Life went on for Michael and Anthony while life ended for Lucas. One thing was for certain, nothing was ever the same for those involved. The Taylor family would always remember the events of that day. Though they were from different sides, in the end they all lost.


End file.
